Youāre welcome :) no one knows the feeling of losing interest in a game and being haunted by it better than me lol
Also you go! I recently made myself an Alien Stage wallpaper for my phone so I know the joys and sorrows of customization as well XD
Itās honestly a recent development for me too: people say wise things all the time but I never actually took in the words enough to think before I act.
Itās why Iām prepping to end a fanfiction that has honestly turned into a shackle for me over the years. Itās gonna seriously hurt, because itās the second fanfiction I EVER posted somewhere, and Iāve had it for like 4-5 years now since I made it but Iām not giving it the love it deserves anymore. I havenāt thought about it in months and Iām nowhere near finished with even a quarter of the story in my fanfic. It would be torture if I tried to grind out anything any longer.
Itās gonna hurt so bad. itās one of my biggest works but I think itāll be worth it. Iāll take a step in the right direction. Iāll feel just a little less guilt about not updating.
And itās not like Iām dropping it without an end. Iām planning to give away all of my writing plans for what I had planned for future updates I never wrote.
It sucks when you lose interest in things youāve bonded with other people over, but sometimes the slightly painful path is the right one for you.
So if I can do this, so can you!
š«¶
Tho most of this is a ramble as well, so Iām off to try and uphold my end and get that really long chapter from my other fanfiction out. Iām so excited to finish it >:)))
āI donāt know how much more of this I can take,ā Y/n cookie groaned as they collapsed onto the bed.
For months Shadow milk has been putting the poor knight through the wringer. Trials, mind games, messing with their perception of reality itself. The knight was tested in every possible way. Yet Y/n would, if bearly, keep themself together. Refusing to break, mostly just to spite their captor.
Their only saving grace was when Shadow milk would finally leave them alone for the night. Where Y/n would retreat into the soul jam of Hope. It was thanks to it that Truth and lies were made certain. And their true memories remained in one piece. Here Y/n could check up on Pure vanilla, and watch over him. But this only caused them to ack more, wanting nothing more but to return to his side.
So the light of hope would recommend viewing the events of the past, learning more of the beast. Y/n at first refused, wanted nothing to do with the beastās origin. However curiosity got the better of them. With each memory, adventure, and times of peace; Y/n couldnāt help but feel a bit of sympathy.
āHow do you feel?ā Hope asked.
āI donāt want to feel this way about my enemies. Yet, I understand, or at least see why they feel,āā Y/n pauses as they pull away from the mirror. āI feel the most sorry for salt of solidarity. He lost so much and doesnāt yet know what happened to the two cookies he cares about most.
Mystic flour and Fount of knowledge were crushed by the worst side of cookie kind. Causing them to lose faith in everything. Burning Spice was losing himself to madness and stagnation.
Eternal sugar cookie, just took her role too far. And yet couldn't really understand why she was in the wrong.
And what happened to Bliss Butter Cookie? She falls into a dimensional rift and returns changed. She looked so frightened and started to close herself off from her friends."
"Well, you see," light of hope started.
" I meet someone terrifying beyond it," said a voice from the void of mirrors.
Y/n cookie quickly rose to their feet as a figure stepped into the light. The Bliss Butter. Y/n's eyes widen slightly as they take a small, cautious step forward. Bliss butter was a full foot taller than they were.
"What is beyond the rift?" Y/n asked slowly.
" A realm where time acts like a tree. A far larger expense of time, a place no ordinary cookie belongs. And yet cookies found their way to interact with said space," Bliss butter starts.
"Cookies in time space?" Y/n awed.
"I believe they call themselves TheĀ Time Balance Department. Cookies who devote themselves to protecting the flow of time," Bliss explains.
A giant mirror of crystal started to form behind the old virtue. Bliss gestured to step closer. The young knight slowly approached as images started to reflect on the mirror's surface.
Power and energy burst forth from the mirror as Y/n stared deeply.
-----------------------------------
The sky above the ruined valley split open with a scream, a Rift. A creature dragged itself from the crack in reality, all jagged limbs, molten eyes, and a mouth that stretched far too wide. Darkness leaked from its body like smoke, swallowing the grass wherever it stepped.
The Six virtues stood at the front line, untouched by corruption. Ancient power rolled off them like a storm. Salt of salidarity turned to Bliss butter, who was in a state of meditation. A large paintbrush in her hands.
āLeft side collapses in six seconds,ā Bliss Butter warned sharply.
The ground exploded where theyād just stood.
Salt of salidarity moved first, blades flashing as he cut through the monsterās arm. Harold of Change followed with a burst of flame that roared across the creatureās chest, forcing it backward.
But the monster adapted instantly, sending sharp crystals towards Sugar of Happiness. Bliss Butter spun her brush through the air, painting a glowing ribbon of light across reality itself. The painted ribbon hardened into a shield just before impact.
CRACK.
The shield shattered, but it held long enough. Sugar of happiness quickly spread her wings and snatched Bliss Butter, launching into the air.
"Thank you, sweetie," Sugar of happiness smiles at her friend in her arms.
"But what know?" Fount of knowledge asks, floating beside them.
āDonāt attack the core yet!ā Bliss Warns. āEvery future where we rush ends badly!
Mystic Flour Cookie narrowed her eyes. āThen show us the right one.ā
Bliss froze as her pupils flashed white. The battlefield split into possibilities around her. Hundreds of outcomes overlap at once.
Burning ruins, Broken weapons, or Friends dead. Thenā
āThere,ā Bliss whispered.
The monster opened its chest, revealing a swirling black core.
āNow!ā
Fount of knowledge grinned and launched illusions across the battlefield, creating copies of the Beasts in every direction. The monster hesitated for half a second.
Salt of solidarity restrained one arm. Harold of Change slammed fire into the other. Mystic Flour wrapped the creatureās legs in glowing seals.
Sugar of happiness and Bliss butter raised their weapons and unleashed a powerful magical explosion that bathed the valley. The monster screamed and charged Sugar of Happiness and Bliss Butter.
The Virtue of Happiness tried to dodge, but the creature's tendrils wrapped around Bliss. Yanking her from Sugar of happiness's hold.
"Bliss!" Sugar of Happiness screams, causing Salt of Solidarity to chase after the monster.
But the monster had dragged Bliss into the rift; the fount of knowledge quickly stopped salt from going any further.
"What are you doing! Bliss needs our help!" Salt shouted in frustration and worry.
"That's a dimensional rift; we could get lost inside that, and never return," Fount of Knowledge explains.
"So what! We leave our comrades to their demise!" Salt growled.
"So what do we do?" Harold of change asked.
----------------------
Bliss struggled and finally broke free from the monster, who slowly sank into the darkness of the rift. Her soul Jam glowed faintly in the red void, but she had lost sight of the opening from which she came.
She knew she couldn't stay, so picking a direction. She charged forward and pushed back against the crushing pressure of the void. But to break out of the void, Bliss focused their power to break free.
With one last push, Bliss pushed out of the void, but she didn't see her world. But a time-space, timelines far and wide like an ever-growing tree.
Just as she was taking everything in, suddenly her head pounded and flooded with visions. The possibilities of every possible timeline rushed into her head all at once.
It was almost never-ending, and Bliss's head felt like it would burst, when-
"Just breathe," said a kind voice.
Bliss wiped around to see a strange cookie. She hasĀ very deep almond-brown dough, voluminous golden-blonde hair shaped like a massive lollipop, with dark orangish-yellow stripes, and inwardly curled side bangs. She looked beyond strange.
A lone cookie riding on a giant golden scissor. Her hand rested on Bliss's shoulder. The strange cookie stares deeply into Bliss's eyes, as the virtue slowly composed herself.
"Know, isn't this fascinating? It's not every day a cookie finds their way into space-time. Let alone without the proper machinery. So how did you do it?" The cookie asked, slowly invading Bliss's personal space.
"Umm, who are you?" Bliss asked as she backed away.
"Ah, pardon me. My name is TimeKeeper Cookie. Director of the TBD," Timekeeper smiles and gives a bow.
"Bliss Butter Cookie,ā Bliss said cautiously.
āI couldnāt help but notice your cries of agony out here. What is the matter,ā Timekeeper pried.
āI was just... Overwhelmed with the sudden surge of visions," Bliss explains slowly.
"Visions?" Timekeeper asked.
"I normally get visions of the potential future... While in my timeline," Bliss said, slowly piecing the puzzle togeather. " So when outside my time line, I was no longer limited to one branches potention."
Timekeeperās smile widened. For a brief moment, the countless ticking clocks drifting through the void seemed to fall silent.
āHow extraordinary.ā Timekeeper smiles.
The way she said it made Blissās stomach tighten. Timekeeper circled around her slowly atop the giant golden scissors, eyes fixed on Bliss with unnerving intensity. Not blinking. Not once.
āA Cookie capable of perceiving probabilistic branches beyond her native streamā¦ā she murmured to herself. āAnd without dissolving into temporal ash.ā
Bliss took another cautious step back. āI-Iām fine now,ā she said quickly. āSo I should probably just get back home.ā
āHome?ā Timekeeper echoed lightly, as though testing the word. āOh, yes. That quaint little concept. You are no ordinary Cookie.ā
Suddenly, Timekeeper was directly in front of her again. Bliss hadnāt even seen her move. The director leaned closer, golden eyes reflecting entire timelines within them. Thousands of tiny flickering worlds spun endlessly in her pupils.
āDo you know how many Cookies lose their minds after glimpsing even a fragment of the currents?ā Timekeeper asked quietly. āHow many scream? How many forget their own names?ā
Her smile sharpened slightly.
"Yet here you are, intact and adapting with no mechanical protection," Her smile sharpened slightly.
āIt still hurts,ā Bliss muttered.
āOh, I know.ā Timekeeperās voice dropped almost affectionately. āI heard every second of it.ā
A chill crawled through Blissās dough, as the silence sat between them.
"Tell me,ā she said, āwhen you looked into the timelinesā¦ what looked back?ā Timekeeper asked
Bliss continued to stare with caution as Timekeeper kept the intense eye contact.
āYouāre frightened.ā
Bliss immediately jerked away.
āThatās normal,ā Timekeeper continued pleasantly. āMost fascinating things are frightened at first.ā
Blissās hand slowly moved toward her Soul Jam. Timekeeper noticed instantly, her grin widened.
āOh, donāt look at me like that,ā she laughed softly. āIf I wished to harm you, Bliss Butter Cookie...ā
Suddenly, the clocks around them freeze. "ā¦you would never notice it happening. But I am far more interested in keeping you intact,ā Timekeeper smiles.
āI must go,ā Bliss said quickly, turning away.
The moment she did, the path ahead of her shattered. The timeline itself fractured into hundreds of glowing possibilities, branching out like broken glass across the void. Every direction Bliss tried to take twisted back toward the same point.
Toward Timekeeper. āOh, must you?ā Timekeeper sighed dramatically. āAlready?ā
Bliss stared at the countless branching paths around her. Every single one looped back here. āYou're trapping me.ā
Timekeeper tilted her head. Such a small motion, yet somehow deeply wrong.
āThat word sounds so ugly,ā she said softly. āI prefer... delayed departure.ā
Blissās Soul Jam glowed warily.
āYou donāt understand,ā Bliss said firmly. āI have people waiting for me.ā
At that, something flickered across Timekeeperās face. Not anger. Something colder, something tired.
āYes,ā she murmured. āMost Cookies do.ā
The clocks surrounding them slowed. Timekeeper looked out into the infinite timelines overhead, her smile dimming for the first time.
āDo you know what happens after observing eternity for long enough?ā she asked quietly. āEvery conversation repeats. Every tragedy repeats. Every joy becomes predictable.ā Her eyes shifted back to Bliss. āEvery Cookie eventually moves too slowly.ā
Bliss paused as she saw the loneliness in Timekeeper's eye. Lonely in a way Bliss couldnāt fully comprehend.
"I'm sorry to hear that, but if that is the case, then why direct a whole organization to protect time?" Bliss asked.
"Cause there would be no fun if everything gets destroyed. And I find changing timelines far more entertaining," Timekeeper Cookie smiles.
"Why would you need to change Timelines?" Bliss cookie asked under her breath.
"Cause it's fun, and cause I can. Hehe," Timekeeper giggles. "And maybe you will too eventually. You might just be the first cookie that could reach my heights, that wasn't me."
Alarm bells were practically blaring in Bliss Butter Cookie's head the longer she talked to this cookie. So she balted, doing her best to weave the branching timelines.
"Hehe, a game of chase, is it. Alright, looks like I'm it!" Timekeeper says with excitement, giving chase.
The massive golden scissors came crashing down with enough force to split the timeline itself. Bliss reacted on instinct, swinging her paintbrush wand upward!
CLANG!
The impact exploded through the void like a ringing bell. Shockwaves of distorted time rippled outward in massive circles, sending nearby timeline branches flickering violently. Entire possibilities blinked in and out of existence around them. Bliss's arms screamed from the force, but she held.
Timekeeperās eyes widened. For the first time since meeting her, the director looked genuinely caught off guard. The blades of the scissors pressed harder against the brush. Golden sparks and streaks of glowing paint burst where the two weapons met. Time itself warped around the point of contact, ticking erratically.
Timekeeper stared directly into Blissās eyes from the other side of the locked weapons. Then she smiled, one of pure excitement.
Bliss grits her teeth and guides the blades away from her, quickly ducking under the golden scissors. Swinging to give Timekeeper a swift kick to the face.
"OUCH!" Timekeeper cried as she backed away. "Why are you being so stubborn?"
Bliss quickly runs away as Timekeeper stagers for a bit. Timekeeper hisses in pain as she rubs her bruised cheek, watching Bliss escape back to the core timeline. A slow, eerie smile spreads on Timekeeper's face.
"I will find you again, Bliss Butter Cookie," Timekeeper shouts as Bliss escapes back into the rift.
---------------------------------------------
Y/n knight cookie stared at the mirror with great unease.
"That is a very creepy lady," Y/n coughs. "But was she.. Right though?"
"About?" Bliss asked, staring at the blank mirror.
"You reaching to her heights?" Y/n cookie asked.
"Anyone who weilds the Soul Jam of Hope is capable of reaching her level, maybe even becoming something far more. But she is an overconfident cookie, cause some some cookies far outclass her by miles," Bliss butter says simply. "One of them told me to make sure that the soul jam will be of great use in the hands of a Dragon who longs to be a cookie."
"Why are you here in Shadow Milk's tower? Or the soul Jam at least," Y/n Knight Cookie asked, changing the subject.
"It was literally in your dough the whole time. When Millennial Tree cookie said to find the Blue Lily Dragon. There are only two flower dragons in all of Earth bread. But she was not the one that the world needed. And there is only one way for another dragon to come into the world.
So, in my final act as Vriute of Hope, I placed the soul jam in her dough. So when the time came when she had a child, the soul jam would transfer to... Well, you," Bliss Butter Cookie explained.
"So out of every possible path you could have taken, this was the best possible one?" Y/n asked, voice starting to rise. "This was the best one? Thatās it? Thatās your answer? How am I supposed to believe that you saw me and decided I was enough for something like this?ā
"I don't know. All I saw was that with the soul jam in your hands, you find a brighter path for cookie kind. Maybe you may see things that I couldn't," Bliss Butter said as the soul Jam of hope appears in her hands.
āI donāt know why it had to be you. Iām not sure what makes this the correct answer. I only know that every other path I saw ended in something I could not allow.ā Her grip tightened slightly on the soul jam.
āThatās what this is,ā Y/n continued, voice rising despite their effort to keep it steady. āYou saw enough futures to decide Iām the one who gets to carry it. Not because I asked. Not because I agreed. Because everything else failed your standards. Iām not a āfinal pathā you get to pick because the rest didnāt work out!"
Blissās gaze lowered slightly as tears threatened to fall. "I don't see any other way. I was trying to prevent what had already happened once. I did not want another of us to collapse under it."
Y/n stared at the Soul Jam again. The light didnāt look warm anymore.
"If you really saw me in those futures,ā Y/n said, voice steadier now, āthen you saw me struggling too.ā
The two stood in silence, as light of hope looked between them nervesly. Y/n's fists tighten, but then loosen as they look at Bliss. A small stream of tears ran down Bliss's face.
āIf Iām feeling this nowā¦ā Y/n continued quietly, āThen what were you feeling for the past centuries?ā
Y/n knight cookie slowly took the soul jam into their hands.
āI still donāt like this,ā Y/n said quietly. "This isnāt Hope, is it. Not anymore."
The soul Jam began to glow as the light of the soul Jam drew closer to Y/n Cookie. They exhaled once, slow, like they were setting something down inside them that they couldnāt afford to carry carelessly anymore.
āItās Will,ā they said, the Soul Jam shone brilliantly.
āā¦Iāll carry the Will to move forward," The Light of Will said.
Y/n could feel a great power flow through them, as suddenly the timelines and every possibility became clear to them. It was so overwhelming as Y/n stumbled back.
Bliss Butter quickly helped stabilize the new hero, as they slowly got used to the constant visions. A certain cookie appears in a good number of them.
"Umm, do I have to interact with TimeKeeper Cookie. If I play it smart, I can avoid her, right?" Y/n asked slowly.
"Sadly, I fear that your paths and hers intertwine quite a lot. It will be up to you on how you protect yourself from her," Bliss Butter shrugs. " Sadly, Timekeeper isn't one to let objects of interest go so easily. "
"Great," Y/n grimaces.
Y/n Knight Cookie passes about, trying to figure out how to avoid this crazy cookie. Bliss Butter looked far off into the future silently.
"End of time, eh? How ominous, and so inconvenient for everyone else," TimeKeeper cookie chuckles. āOh well. To The End Of Time!ā
With a slice of her golden scissors, she traveled far, far into the future. To her surprise, the future was in complete chaos and entropy. And humming to themself, all carefree was her future self. Though upon closer observation, the future timekeeper's one eye seemed to be scanning for something. When-
"Ahh! It's about time you came, TimeKeeper Cookie," the blue-clad timekeeper smiles.
"I hope I wasn't interrupting you, but it was you who called me all the way out here," Timekeeper states.
"Oh, nothing. I just have to trust that they weren't lying to me when they promised to meet me here," Blue-clad Timekeeper sighed. " Anyways. I had no doubts I would understand my own Message. Welcome to the Future."
"What happened here, I have never seen space time so warped this much." Timekeeper says, staring at the chaos.
"Simply put, after the core timeline split, shadow milk cookie attempted to become a god. And in my future, he succeeded." Blue-clad Timekeeper explains. "I tried everything. rewinding time over and over."
"But the outcome never changed? It only weakened the timeline till it could no longer handle the strain," Timekeeper finished.
"Exactly! Each rewind created more and more branches that had to be pruned. Until the remaining timeline could no longer sustain itself," Blue- clad Timekeeper divolged.
"Alright, however. You came back in time to egg Croissant cookie on to investigate the split. Why?" Timekeeper cookie asked. "This allowed Shadow milj to obtain a working time manipulator and thus infiltrate the core timeline."
Blue-clade Timekeeper would continue to explain to past Timekeeper about what is yet to come. Suddenly, there was a rumble in the timeline.
"Croissant Cookie is already changing to the past. And know, having witnessed the outcome firsthand. Soon, you'll make sure the past I knew would never exist." Blue-clad Timekeeper sighed.
"Of course! This future leaves a lot to be desired." Timekeeper comments.
"Agreed. Soon it will no longer exist. After all, a future cannot be without a past. The same goes for me." Blue clade Timekeeper adds.
"Our destiny right. To ensure the flow of time continues, I must travel across temporal space to meet and witness the demise of countless copies of myself," Timekeeper sighs. "And who knows when it will be my turn to go extinct."
"Sometimes I just wanna hide away in a remote time pocket, and ignore my duties. Or just let my mind and dough finally giveout," Blue- clad Timekeeper breathes.
"Oh, by the way. Do we ever find that sneaky Bliss Butter Cookie?" Timekeeper asks.
"Sadly no, we never see that special cookie again. And the only cookie who does know won't tell me," Blue clad Timekeeper shakes her head.
"How unfortunate," Timekeeper glares slightly.
"But it's alright, cause we get someone better," Blue-clad Timekeeper pips up with a wide smile. Catching the past Timekeeper's interest. "Their successor, Dragon knight cookie. Or Y/n knight cookie when you first meet them."
"Oh, how so?" Timekeeper asks.
"They are just so much more fun, and not so stingy with the rules. In the right situations, they may even break the rules. Oh, they were so cute back then, though. But, They did become a very lovely cookie here in the future. I can't say which version of them I like more. Both are equally so much fun," Blue-clad Timekeeper smiles whistfully.
"Sound intriguing," Timekeeper smiles.
"Oh you will see. Take my advice, and i suppose my final words. Don't let them slip from your fingers. Don't let them go," Blue-clad Timekeeper said with absolute seriousness. When her tone shifts again, now huffy.
"Oh where is that Cookie. They promised to meet me here before we fade away," Blue-clad Timekeeper huffs, with puffed cheeks.
"What do you-" Suddenly, Timekeeper was cut off as a violent shockwave blew them a good distance away. The two Timekeepers struggled to stabilize themselves, but when they did. They say it. An incomprehensibly large dragon started to burst forth from the timeline. A powerful roar echoed across the chaos, rattling the very dough of the Timekeeper's.
"A Dragon!" Timekeeper gasped in awe.
"Finally, they're here! Y/n! Over Here!" Blue-clad Timekeeper calls out, hearts practically floating all around her.
Timekeeper stared at blue clade Timekeeper with confusion and curiosity. They know they can be pretty crazy when it comes to finding something that could cure her boredom. There seem to be many versions of themselves that were willing to do all sorts of things. But this?
This is probably the first time they've seen a version of themselves so... Lovesick. Just who was this cookie, er.. Dragon? Who is this person who potentially stirs deep manic feelings within her?
The Dragon, with one flap of its wings, launched itself towards the two. The power radiating out of the beast was intense; just the radiation alone makes their dough feel like it's going to crumble.
Suddenly, the dragon seemed to rapidly shrink and morph down into a normal cookie shape. Finally seeing the face of this Y/n character, Blue-clad Timekeeper was raving about.
'Oh, they are very lovely,' Timekeeper thought to themselves as they gazed upon this cookie.
"Y/n Cookie!" Blue-clad Timekeeper smiles, quickly wrapping her arms around them. Though Y/n cookie seemed to be merely tolerating the contact. "I was beginning to think you had lied to me again. So what was so important that you had to send me away to the past?"
"Oh?" Timekeeper asked with interest.
"I'm finally strong enough. Strong enough to do the impossible," Y/n said simply as they looked to blue-clade Timekeeper with their one eye.
"Oh, and what would that be?" Timekeeper asked.
"To escape time and space itself," Y/n answered simply.
The two Timekeepers stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed at that.
"I think you may have gained too much power; it's messing with your head," Timekeeper chuckled, but blue-clad leaned closer to Y/n.
"I'm not content with vanishing with this timeline. And I have to do this. I don't want any version of myself having to feel helpless in watching their time die. And hopefully not have to become what I am," Y/n says, slowly turning to the blue-clad Timekeeper. "If you want to come, I'll allow it. But if not, fine by me,"
"Of course. I have nothing to lose, and even if this fails. It could be fun," Blue-clad Timekeeper smiles.
"Escaping time and into the eternal void. That's not possible," Timekeeper says.
"Well, I never let that stop me from trying," Y/n said as they transformed back into their dragon form. Blue-clad Timekeeper quickly hops onto their head. Timekeeper cookie backs away as the dragon and future self suddenly launch forward.
A powerful blast of magical fire cut through time and reality itself. A rift that Timekeeper had never seen before. As Y/n and blue-clad Timekeeper enter the rift, chains and restrains of startdust wrap around the dragon. Hoping to stop the cookies escaping their dying timeline. The bind wrapped tighter and tighter, when a powerful blast of magic birth forth from the dragon's body.
With weakened restraint, Y/n ripped through the barrier and vanished into the void, into the truly unknown. Before Timekeeper could fully comprehend what had just happened, the rift quickly started to patch itself closed as the timeline faded.
As y/n knigh cookie rested, a small glow emerged from their chest. Y/n groaned in discomfort as images flashed through.
They stood in an empty void. Y/n tried to move, but no matter how far they walked, they remained in place. Suddenly, the void lit up with a flash, and hundreds of thousands of reflective surfaces filled the void. All showing moving images, scenes of things that have already happened, things that could happen, and strangely, things that have not happened.
Y/n peered into one of these reflective surfaces. An entire battle was playing out. Shadow milk was battling his other half, but the cookie wasn't pure vanilla. But a Paladin from the CrĆØme Republic?
"What on earthbread is this?" Y/n wondered aloud.
"It's what could happen," Said a calm voice.
AH! Who are you?! Show Yourself!" Y/n Cokie commanded.
A light suddenly shone above, and a star-shaped glow slowly lowered to Y/n's eye level.
"The mirrors reflect every possibility that could also come. Or Alternate Universe. With each fork in the path, the path not treaded branches so far off our timeline that it becomes its own universe," The star explained with a chuckle. "Oh, oh, look, this alternate universe is if you were SMC's minion."
"I would never join that Jester!" Y/n shouted.
"That's why it became its own universe, though I do like that universe outfit you're in," The star said.
"Come on th outfit can't be that- oh. No, that's actually really cute," Y/n said with a smile.
"Maybe pure vanilla would appreciate -" Y/n smacked the glowing star. "I-I overstepped."
"Yes, yes, you did," Y/n huffed. "And you never said who you were."
"Ah, apologise. I used to be called the light of hope." The light was introduced.
"Used to? Light of hope? Y/n asked when they remembered. "BLISS Butter!"
"Yes, I used to serve Miss Bliss butter, but sadly, she... She is out of commission," The light of hope said sadly.
"You say that as if she isn't running about who knows where," Y/n interiated.
"What that old fairy told you is the story from his perspective, and a lie at that, too. The story of the witch sealing the beasts, that was a lie," The light of hope said.
"Why would elder faerie cookie lie?" Y/n asked, but thought back to when he pulled them asaid to tell them of bliss butter. "So what is the real story?"
"It's a good thing we're in this realm. Not only does it show what could happen. It records what did happen. I can show you," The Light of Hope said as it led them to a mirror.
The surface rippled as figres could be seen, it cleared to reveal Elder faerie cookie and a cookie in silver armor, but he wasn't a fae.
"Who is that?" Y/n cookie asked.
That was the Salt of Solidarity, or Silent Salt now," Light of Hope explained.
"He looked so much different back then," Y/n mumbles.
He and Elder Faerie's cookie seemed to be having a heavy discussion when Elder Faerie smiled as a hooded figure approached.
"Ah, Bliss Butter, just the cookie we need. Perhaps you can help quell Salt of Solidarity's worries," Elder Faerie greets.
Bliss Butter removes her hood, revealing her long locks of rich golden butter hair. She had saddened orange eyes, eyes that had seen far too much. She also had a small tiara made of cream resting on her head. She almost looked like a forest princess who had seen happier days.
"Ah, oh. What troubles you, my dear knight?" Bliss asked, trying to put on a mask of a smile.
"My star? What has caused such sorrow?" Salt f Solidarity asked as he gently lifted Bliss Butter's hand to where his lips were behind the helmet.
Yes, don't hold onto such sorrow, let us lighten your burdens," Elder faerie added.
"H-have you been able to contact the witches?" Bliss asked meekly.
"I have not, they remain silent," Salt said sadly."Why do you ask?"
"Cause I think... I think I'm failing my... purpose," Bliss Butter stuttered slowly as her eyes filled with tears.
"Bliss, why would you say such things against yourself?" Elder Faerie asked.
"Love?! What draws you to such a conclusion?" Salt urged.
"No matter how long I search and look into the many possibilities, I can't find the right course to save... everyone. I need guaidence form my creator," Bliss sniffled. "And there is this darkness that keeps whispering to me. No matter what I do, it refuses to leave me."
Salt holds his dear Bliss close as she starts to sob onto his armor. Eler faerie could only pat her shoulder, hoping to give some comfort to his friends.
"I could only find one possible path, and that it's... That my hold of the Soul jam is not wth me," Bliss uttered defeatedly. "I keep seeing a blue dragon, with feathers and blue lilies."
"Bliss?! You plan to relinquish your ownership of the soul Jam?" Salt gasped in shock.
"Then what will become of you?" Eder Faerie fretted.
"I picked a path, at least. One that has high odds over Earthbreak keeping its peace. With trials and downs, of course, but overall, a bright future," Bliss said, some confidence returning. "I know I am asking you a lot, and I have no right to ask. But I'm asking."
The two ancient cookies stood in silence as Bliss slowly lowered her head. When Salt gently held her hand and placed it over his heart.
"You have never led me astray or given me reason to doubt your intentions. You have my heart and my trust, My Star," Salt said with "solidarity."
"What is it you see?" Elder faerie asked.
"I'm afraid there is a darkness that sadly will consume our virtues. I feel it even now, but sadly, a few of our comrades have already given in to the darkness. It will strike when we are at our lowest. Which is sadly soon. So we must workfast," Bliss butter pulls out a scroll.
The scroll was a spell, an ancient witch's magic. The sealing spell!
Y/n quickly pulls away from the mirror with a gasp.
"It was silent salt and Elder faerie who sealed the beast. All according to the Bliss butter's plan," Y/n muttered. "She... She looked so scared. But where did she go, if not sealed away?"
"I... I may have overstepped on what is expected of a light of a soul jam. We, the lights of the soul Jam, are supposed to be empirical. To guide and remind our holders of the importance of their virtue," Light of hope starts. " If a holder is too far gone or corrupted beyond return, we must seek out a new virtue and holder. "
"So what did you do?" Y/n cookie asked, on the edge of their seat.
"I... I didn't wish to part entirely with Bliss Butter, and it pained me to see the light of despair slowly consume her. So I... pulled her soul into the jam," Light of hope awkwardly.
Y/n stood mouth agape in disbelief. "So we have another white lily cookie situation on our hands?"
"N-not entirely. While her soul resides in the soul jam her dough... Is umm. Being puppiteered by the light of despair itself. And wonders freely on earth bread," Light ofhope tired to explain.
"That's not any better. So we have a beast... Zombie on the loose," Y/n sighed in exasperation.
"Well, on the bright side, without the soul Jam, the light of despair has a weakened version of our power. However, despair will do whatever it takes to find it," Light of hope added.
Suddenly, the realm started to shake, as a mirror formed in front of Y/n cookie. The reflective surface showed Shadow Milkand his minions quickly heading toward their room. Before Y/n cookie could say or ask anything, they woke up in their... prison.
Y/n slowly sat up when their chained hand felt something smooth to the touch. Looking down, there it was, a star-shaped soul jam. It shone and gave a warm energy as Y/n stared into its dazzling surface, when there was a knock at the door.
"Iām respecting your privacy by knocking, but asserting my authority as your captor by coming in anyway," Shadw milk's voice said from the other side of the door.
Y/n quickly tucked the soul jam under their blankets at his voice. The door slammed open dramatically as the beast of the hour floated into the room, and his purple side kick started in after.
"What do you want, clown?" Y/n cookie growled.
His smile widens. Not offended, but amused.
"Clown?" he repeats softly, as if tasting the word. "Oh, how provincial. I am so much more than a clown."
He circles y/n slowly, hands clasped behind his back. He stops in front of Y/n, a bit too close for their comfort.
"What do I want?" He exhales a small, almost thoughtful hum. āToday? Conversation. Tomorrow? Perhaps your despair. Eventuallyā¦ā A faint tilt of his head. ā Your devotion. Or death, either one works."
"You see, breaking Pure Vanilla directly is dull. He endures. He forgives. He clings to hope like itās stitched into his dough," SMC continues. "But you? You are his fracture line. I could destroy you to destroy him." His voice lowers.
"Orā¦ ''he shrugs lightly, ''I could offer you something sweeter. Tell me, lover of my other halfā¦ does it ever exhaust you? Being the reason he believes the world is worth saving?''
Y/n chuckles a bit at that. "He never needed me to believe the world is worth saving. He was like that long before he met me." They say with calmness. "The only burden isā¦ having to be here with you."
SMC glared at that last remark, but kept his cool as he continued. "Oh, that was clean. You didnāt even hesitate." Y/n gives a small smirk at SMC's remark.
"But you underestimate how much of his heart you occupy, and how that affects him. When he thought you were dead, something changed." His tone grows thoughtful. āHis light didnāt shine brighter. Itā¦ flickered."
Smc looks down at Y/n cookie, seeing them calm and unwavering in his presence. Surely this is just a brave acting their putting up.
"Are you very braveā¦ or very certain heāll find you?" Smc mocked.
"Just certain. certain he will pull through. It's only natural to feel sadness at the news of the loss of a loved one. But he is blessed with many great friends who will be there to aid him through his darkness," Mc said confidently as they finally stood up from their bed.
For a moment, he just watches Y/n. Then a soft exhale through his nose. Almost a laugh. Black sapphire Cookie commanded a few beings of the tower to bring in a tea table and refreshments. Mostly for his master, but extra was brought.
"Ugh! You speak about him as if heās some unstoppable force, case the power of friendship and that jazz," SMc huffed as he took a sip of tea. "Grief is a crack. Friends patch it. Time smooths it. But doubt? Doubt spreads."
"Is there a point to this ramble?" Y/n sighs in annoyance.
"Hehe, such an imapeint audience. If I truly wanted you broken alreadyā¦ You would be," SMC tone switching in the blink of an eye.
One moment, he is chatty; the next, threatening. Y/n glared back at him as the two stood in silence, glaring each other down. When SMC smiled suddenly sat back down in his seat like nothing happened.
'This cookie is crazy," Y/n thought to themselves as they slowly sat down at the table. " gotta get out of here as fast as possible.
______________________________________________
The plot thickness! Let's reach 300 ntes for fast updates to this fic.
(Mild spoilers to Illuga's backstory below, reader is a Lightkeeper, headcanons/ramblings)
Thinking about how Illuga would act like when he's in love...
Despite how mature and level headed Illuga seems at all time, he is still a young manā full of passion and devotion, yet still inexperienced in love.
In truth, he never imagined that he could be in love with someone. After all, he had dedicated his entire life to his work as a Lightkeeper, devoted his whole being to vanquishing the darkness of the Wild Hunt so no one would ever have to suffer the same loss he alone had to live through...
Such thoughts plagued his mind constantly. There was never a time in his life for love, not when the abyss was still running rampant all over Nod Krai...
... At least, that was what he told himself, even when his behaviour started to change little by little after meeting you...
At first, it was subtle. Giving you a small part of his rations to keep you full, being more alert when you were assigned to the same task as him, fuzzing over you more than usualā things that could easily be written down in the list of "things Illuga would do for new recruits".
What isn't a normal thing for him is freezing up halfway through the middle of a Lightkeepers meeting, suddenly losing his voice when he catches the sight of you standing at the very back (how long have you been standing there? Did he brush his teeth this morning? Oh my god, can you smell his bad breath from here!?).
Or purposefully delegating tasks that put you in minimum risk or away from the battlefield, as faraway from danger as possible. If you absolutely insist on being on the frontlines, then he will make sure that whoever is accompanying you is him or one of the best Lightkeepers they've got. Anyone that will be sure to prioritise the group over themselves.
Or laying in bed at night, tossing and turning as he recalls how his fingertips briefly brushed over yours when he was handing your Oath Lantern back to you, nearly making him drop the lantern when a nervous shock suddenly made his body jump in response. Ohhh how he desperately wants to bury that memory into the deepest corner of his mindā yet he can't help but recall how close your hands were to each other, how sweet your laughter sounded to his ears right after his slip up...
By the time Illuga notices that he's fallen in love with you, it's far too late for him. He's already gone and given his heart to you before ever realising that its been taken... and that terrifies him.
Now, he's even more protective than before. He stands in front of you during every battle, putting himself at the very face of danger to make sure that everyone including you (especially you) leaves this battlefield alive. Despite the increase in injuries, he refuses to let you tend to him, afraid of being seen as weak or unreliable to you.
Deep down, he's worried about you falling in the line of duty, being killed by the very same monsters that once took everything from him in a single night. How can he help you? How can he save you? How can he better protect you so that he won't lose the people close to him again?
It takes a lot of time to convince Illuga that: no, you won't be transferring to logistic; no, he doesn't need to follow you everywhere to ensure your safety; no, he absolutely doesn't need to sacrifice himself for you on the battlefield (that last one was an absolute, non negotiable).
Eventually, all your fellow Ratniki (who have put two and two on why their young leader has been behaving differently this entire time) come to your aid in convincing Illuga. Even Nikita pitches a word in your favour, telling him that he doesn't have to be worried. Lightkeepers take care of each other, no one is going to be dying out there without a fight.
After a while, Illuga accepts defeat and starts to act less like a protective dog defending its territory and more like a Nightingale singing songs to attract a mate.
What were once small parts of his rations given to you in secret were now freshly cooked meals around a small open fire, warm and comforting to the stomach while the gentle, relaxed smile on his face soothes even the weariest of souls after the harshest of battles.
What were once battles meant to protect innocent lives had now gained a new meaning. Now, they were also a place for him to show off his strength, to prove to you that he could be a man reliable enough to protect you, to become your light that guides you through the darkness
(... definitely not also because you once praised Flins' fighting prowess when you had the chance to watch him fight once. He can do that too!! He can fight for you!!!)
Overall, Illuga in love is a sincere and devoted man, sworn to protect you to the very end. While he may not be experienced in love and still worries excessively about you at times, there is never a time when you won't feel safe by his side.
Please... let him rest by your side for a little longer... relieve him from his nightmares and duties for just a moment longer...
f/o who rehearsed something cool to say to you, delivered it perfectly, and then walked away before you could respond because they didn't plan that part
Because I am sleepy and have no filter, have my angry thoughts on HSR/Genshin;
What if we got rid of waifu-hater mentality? What if we looked beyond the cash grab, at the characters built with love and deep complexities. Of course they can like the MC. Why the hell canāt they?
Itās like going to school, or moving from one school to the next. You find your group, and sometimes you find that person who you click with on a deeper level. Theyāre that kind of friend.
Doesnāt mean you put down your other friends or are abandoning the close friends from the other schools. That friend is just there now and you are there too.
Itās totally plausible that friend could like you romantically, and maybe the others in the past did as well but so WHAT? Theyāre still your friends. You donāt go attacking your lover for acting like a previous girlfriend or someone who had a crush on you that never evolved.
Itās so infuriating seeing people disparaging good characters because of their focus on the MC and their relationship together. Like yeahāthis happens in real life too dimwit.
Itās a game that wants your money sure but if you stopped being pessimistic about whales or cash grabs maybe you could see itās totally plausible these characters would develop crushes or have intense bonds with the MC. The story is there for a reason. Characters are meant to portray human emotions to appeal to the person playing.
No one is forcing you to spend money on the waifus. You can watch the story unfold without touching your wallet.
And if you just hate how waifus appear in every arc because it feels like a character made solely to be a textbook waifuāI have nothing to say to you because youāre much too caught up in the smog of stereotyping to even think. One character likes the MC and thatās fine. But three or four spaced in every major arc? Now itās bad? I hate to break this to you but multiple people can have a crush on the same person irl as well. People can stutter or trip or simp or yearn for their lovers like the āwaifu charactersā too.
I know Iām not wording this right. Thereās something Iām missing to hit the core of this problem home but I canāt put it into words. Toxic waifu mentality is the focus. Itās sad and itās an insult to the stories those characters come from. I might not even be using waifu right but Iām sleepy and feel like ranting and no one has to respond to this.
If they argue I donāt care. Iām a deer anon on the internet who occasionally writes storiesāwhy would you start a fight with me over this? Click away and move on. Iām not even gonna tag this because itās a midnight rant that isnāt worded the way I want to express.
I love Castorice and Cyrene and Firefly and Ayaka and Colombina and Nilou and Citlali and Mizuki and just about every other character in MC āharemsā because they are good characters. Something like female character appeal for players doesnāt matter to me.
I love my girls. I love our close connections. It makes me feel close to the story. It adds another layer of depth to their characters and their friendship.
tumblr friendships are hard to maintain like im sorry i know i havent talked to you in 5 months but youāre still super rad and i still consider us friends im just dumb
Shoutout to the enigmatic mutual. I do not know your name, age, gender, job, or country. I have maybe three fragments of your personal life gleaned from obscure tags over months, utterly unsearchable. You're so hard to keep track of that I confused you with someone else while writing this very post. I feel like I've won something by your presence. Your favourite thing appears to be concrete. Immaculate.
